Snowflake
by RenoKraxelNocturne
Summary: Idk what to put here. I'll put up a better summary later, I swear.
1. prologue

The sky was pitch black, dark in contrast against the falling snow. The clouds hid both the stars and moon from view, casting the world below into shadows. Beneath the midnight sky lay the slumbering city of Palmacosta.

The houses lined up neatly and orderly in defiance of the wilderness and the ocean that surrounded the city. Smoke rose lazily from chimneys buried among the snow covered rooftops. Icicles dangled from the tips of roofs, ranging in size from tiny little nubs to large ice spears that threatened to fall at any sudden movement.

The streets that ran along the little blocks and clusters of houses were now empty. During the daytime, these paths bustled with life, full of people going about their business without a care in the world. Now, the roads were barren of life. Nearly.

A small girl of about six years shuffled through the deep snow, her large sapphire eyes staring about her in fear. Snow clung to her little blue coat and ice stuck to the white fur at her cuffs. Her boots had gotten snow in them at some point and were slightly damp and extremely uncomfortable.

This was Lenai Hikaru. She had come to Palmacosta with her uncle on an extremely very business trip. He had gone to a meeting with the Governor-General of the city and had sent her off to play with a few other children in the city square. Before leaving her, he had told her to meet him in the lobby of the office building at six o'clock.

The native children scoffed at Lenai, calling her a country bumpkin and ignored her. Lenai had to admit, she _was_ a country bumpkin, but it still wasn't very nice of them to point it out. After a while, she got tired of trying to get them to pay attention to her and wandered off to explore.

She wandered around the city for hours. At first it was all in good fun. She wove her way through the winding roads, exploring every alley she came upon. As the evening wore on, however, she suddenly realized that she was very hungry.

Lenai stopped her meandering in front of a bakery, attracted by the heavenly aromas. She pressed her little button nose against the icy window after scrubbing the frost off with her coat sleeve. Peering inside, she watched the customers as they bought bread, cakes, and other baked goods. After a few minutes one of the bakers noticed her through the glass and brought out to her a hot biscuit and a mug full of hot cocoa. She thanked the kind man, and continued her adventure while munching on her supper.

In the winter, the days are much shorter than those of the summertime. The sun descended, and night fell rather quickly. Little by little, the streets emptied. The people of the city returned to their cozy little homes, completely oblivious of the poor little soul who still had not found her way.

Fear's icy claws slowly closed around Lenai as she realized that she was indeed lost. She frantically ran through the streets, eyes darting here and there as she tried in vain to find her way back to the square.

At last, she stopped, slipping into an alley. She knelt down at the mouth of the alley just in case her uncle happened by this way looking for her. She then curled into a ball to keep herself warm, wishing to herself that she had some more cocoa. She tried not to cry, knowing that if she did, the tears would freeze to her face.

Lenai started to sing softly to herself in an attempt to keep herself calm. By now, the streets were completely empty. The little girl was cold, tired, scared, and terribly alone.

Suddenly there was a sound of rustling wings. She looked up, startled, to see a man in the street. He was tall, with long, silken sky-blue hair that hung in a loose ponytail down his back. His skin was fair and he had pointed ears, like those of elves. He wore a black and white suit, and she noticed, was armed. He had a rapier at his hip and a bow strapped to his back.

It wasn't his looks or clothes that caused the little girl to jump up and run to where he stood to cling to his sleeve. It was his wings. They were absolutely gorgeous. They glittered like the newly fallen snow, but quite unlike the snow they were black. Lenai had no doubts that this was an angel.

She recalled her uncle telling her that he had had dealings with angels on occasion. So if her uncle was special enough to meet with these mystic beings, why shouldn't she? Why else did he show up here in her time of need? The very thought cheered the Lenai right up. Everything would be fine now. Her angel would take her back to her uncle.

The angel looked down when she tugged on his sleeve with a slight look of surprise flitting across his handsome face. His piercing amethyst eyes locked onto her face as he waited with patient expectancy for her to say something.

"Hi," said Lenai, in a high melodious voice. He just stared at her so she continued. "You're an angel, aren't you?"

The angel blinked at the question. "I beg your pardon?" he asked in a voice like velvet thunder. She decided that she liked his voice.

"I'm lost. Isn't that why you're here?" she asked, ignoring his inquirement and cocking her head to one side.

The angel knelt down so that he was at eye level with her. "Well, that all depends on where it is you want to go," he replied, a small smirk appearing on his lips.

"I need to go to the square. My uncle was meeting with Governor-General Dorr. If you can take me to the square, then I can find my way from there."

The angel eyed her as if sizing her up. "Well, in that case, I would be honored to accompany such a fine young lady as yourself to the park," he said in an amused tone. She giggled and released her grip on his sleeve to grasp his hand. He began to walk, only to pause again. "Pardon me, Milady. There is something I must do first," he explained when she turned him a questioning look. His wings began to glow white hot before disappearing altogether.

"Where'd they _go?_" the girl breathed in astonishment. Her angel grinned down at her.

"Well, you see, I need to…er, blend in. I don't like people gaping at me all that much," he said.

"But they're so _pretty!_" she protested. She didn't point out that he was rather unique looking anyway. Just like an elf. He just smiled, shaking his head.

He pulled her gently through the snow laden streets of the sleeping city. They talked about all sorts of things. Well, it was more her talking than him. She told him the unabridged story of her life and her dreams for the future (lucky him) and he, during the brief pauses when she stopped for air, made small comments about this and that. She discovered that he wasn't much of a talker and he kept staring oddly at her. After they had been walking for several minutes, her feet decided that they had had enough mistreatment for one day, and the angel had to carry her.

They arrived at the park all too soon for the girl's taste. She pouted as he set her down on the ground. He smiled and ruffled her golden brown hair. "Well, here we are." He couldn't keep the reluctant tone completely out of his voice. She replied with an even bigger pout. He knelt in front of her, staring at her straight in the face. "What is it?"

"I don't wanna go!" she cried.

"Now, darling, you know that you have to. Your uncle is likely to be at his wits end with worry about you."

Lenai nodded indicating that, yes, she did know. She threw her arms around him in a hug, giving him a big wet kiss on the mouth. He gave her a crooked smile that made

her giggle and brushed a snowflake from her hair. "Bye! And thank you!" she shouted before taking off for the Governor-General's house but stopping in her tracks, turning on a dime and running back. She threw herself into the angel's arms. "I forgot to ask for your name!" she exclaimed.

"Azrael. Azrael Vaerdos," the angel whispered into her ear, holding her close. "If ever you need me, just call for me."

She pulled back slightly to look him in the face. "Really? What if you're a long ways away?" she asked skeptically.

"I'll hear you. And I'll come, no matter how far I am from you," he vowed. Sighing deeply, he released her and gave her a gentle push in the direction of where he hoped her uncle was still. "Now go."

* * *

Lenai's uncle paced distraughtly around the hall. He stopped abruptly and turned his intense gaze at Dorr. "Why haven't your men found my niece yet?" he demanded angrily.

The Governor-General opened his mouth to say something comforting, but was interrupted by a small knock on the door. He rose swiftly from his chair and opened the door to see a small girl.

"Hi!" she peeped.

"Lenai!" her uncle shouted with relief, running to the door and sweeping her up into his arms. "Where in heaven have you been?"

"Uncle, I got lost! But an angel found me and brought me back!" She didn't notice the color drain from her uncle's face.

"An angel…?"

"Yes! His name's Azrael!"

* * *

Azrael Vaerdos watched Lenai's reunion with her uncle through the icy glass of the window, his angelic hearing giving him the power to hear the exchange. His eyes widened a fraction when he saw the uncle's face, but quickly narrowed as he realized that his task had just gotten harder. His eyes roamed to Lenai again, and his expression softened.

He couldn't quite explain how he felt about the little girl. Whether it was her complete innocence to the world and its hardships, or some power of the strange magick he caught emanating from her, he was entranced by her. He would stand by his oath to protect her. His little snowflake.


	2. chapter one

The sun was just beginning to rise over the village of Iselia. The few clouds that were scattered across the sky were stained with the pinks and oranges that come with the morning. Birds were stirring and began to sing with the new day. A gentle breeze flowed through the trees and over the rooftops of the cottages.

A small orange and white splotched cat crawled out the open window of one of the cottages and climbed up the dark brown shingles. He made his way over to a sleeping form and meowed. The figure didn't move. He butted his head against his master's shoulder and meowed louder. This time, the figure groaned sleepily and turned her head towards her pet. Her eyelids fluttered then opened halfway.

"Hi, Spaetzle," she said groggily, her hand running over his sleek fur while the other went to her blue eyes to wipe away the sleep. She looked up at the sky, a confused expression twisting her pretty features for a moment. She gave a little laugh. "Oops, I guess I fell asleep out here again." She sat up, stretching and surveying the beautiful landscape.

She sat there motionless for a few moments before Spaetzle head butted her again, yowling loudly. "Fine, fine, I'll get you your breakfast," she sighed, slowly getting to her feet. "I swear, you only think of your stomach. No appreciation for what a nice day it's going to be today." Spaetzle just looked up at her expectantly.

"Lenai!" The unexpected call caused the girl to start and almost slip on the shingles, but she caught her balance in time. She grabbed the top of the window and swung herself into her room with one lithe movement. Her landing, however, was less graceful. Her foot caught on her rug and she was sent into a sprawling heap right at the feet of the owner of the voice.

"Hey there, Uncle Hikaru! What's up?" she said grinning up at him.

The tall man just sighed and shook his head. "Lenai, how many times have I told you? It's not safe to sleep on the roof. You could catch cold and get sick! And what if you rolled over in your sleep and fell off?" Lenai rolled her eyes at this and climbed to her feet.

"Uncle, I do it all the time and nothing's ever happened. It's no big deal." She left out the fact that she almost never spent the night alone. Azrael usually came by and talked to her about various things. Lenai learned early on that her uncle despised angels. As to why, he'd never tell. So Lenai had learned to keep quiet about her friendship with the angel who had come to her rescue twelve years prior.

Her uncle's distaste for the holy caused quite a bit of tension between the two of them, especially since Lenai's best friend was the Chosen. "Oh my Goddess!" she shrieked suddenly. "Today's Colette's birthday!"

She ran out of her room and down the stairs into the kitchen. Her uncle followed her, much to her annoyance. "Oh it is? How old is she now?" he asked, trying to keep his voice neutral.

"Sixteen," Lenai replied shortly. She got out the food for Spaetzle before starting to rummage through the cupboards. She took what appeared to her uncle as random ingredients out and set them on the kitchen counter.

"So…she'll be leaving soon," Uncle Hikaru muttered, leaning against the counter and watching his niece's burst of activity. After he said this, she froze and looked him straight in the eye.

"Yes," she said slowly, trying to discern what he was thinking. Her uncle remained silent though. "I bet you'll be pretty damn happy about that, huh? Not having your niece hanging around the Chosen anymore, right?" She'd probably feel bad about lashing out at him later on, but right now she just didn't care.

He kept her gaze for a moment then sighed and looked away. "I don't have anything against Colette, Lenai," he said. "She can't help what she was born into and raised up to be." With that, he turned and walked out of the room.

* * *

A few hours later, Lenai was fully dressed and walking down the uneven, brick road to the schoolhouse with balancing a pan with her usual schoolbooks and lunch bag. Her mind was completely somewhere else.

_Someday_, she thought, _I'll leave this town. I'll be able to live my own life, and not be controlled by Uncle. Maybe Azrael would take me away if I asked him to…_Her train of thought was interrupted by a flying blur of white, blue, and blonde.

The girl who had tackled Lenai in a hug sent them both to the ground in a heap. They untangled themselves laughing. "Happy birthday, Colette!" Lenai said grinning at her best friend. "Did you trip or was that on purpose?"

Colette flushed. "I-I didn't trip. I'm sorry for making you drop your things."

"Haha, it's ok. I just hope you didn't smash your present," Lenai said, proffering the pan to Colette.

"Oh no! You didn't have to get me anything!" Colette said, but smiling anyway. She opened the pan to see what was inside. "Oh! Brownies!" She grinned happily.

Lenai smiled, her former mood forgotten. "You're welcome."

"Oh! Thank you very much!"

Just then the school bell started to ring. "Well we better get to school, or else Professor'll give us hell. Whether or not it's your birthday!" Lenai said, grabbing Colette's hand as they ran towards the school.

* * *

Class was just starting as Colette and Lenai got into the room. The professor glanced up at them. "Nice of you ladies to join us today."

Colette bowed. "I'm sorry, Professor Raine." Lenai bowed as well.

"Just take your seats so we can get started," Raine said. The girls sat in their respective seats.

Lenai noted that Lloyd Irving, another of her close friends, was actually in class and on time for once. He was awake, too. That was impressive. Lenai made another mental note to give him a cookie later. He caught her look and grinned at her. _Yeah, I know_, his smile said. She responded with a grin of her own, one that said _oh yeah? Let's see how long you can keep this up_.

As the class droned on, Lenai saw out of the corner of her eye Lloyd's head slowly begin to droop until it laid flat on his desk. Lenai smirked when she saw that Raine took notice.

"Lloyd Irving, wake up!" she demanded. Lenai's smirk grew when Lloyd didn't move. The entire class turned in their seats to look at the snoozing boy, anxiously awaiting their teacher's reaction. "Lloyd!"

The moment the class was waiting for had come. They looked nervously at the professor and then back to Lloyd. Her temper was about to explode. She picked up an eraser from the chalkboard and chucked it as hard as she could-straight into Lloyd's face. The eraser hit with a satisfying thunk and a cloud of dust erupted from it.

"Gahh!" Lloyd woke up and covered his head. As soon as he realized the imminent danger wasn't very imminent, he raised his head. "Oh…Professor Raine, is class over?" he asked hopefully.

The woman sighed. "Never mind. We'll have someone else answer the question. Now, will anyone else volunteer?" Lenai's hand shot up into the air. "Yes, Lenai."

"In the Holy Ground of Kharlan, the hero Mithos ended the Ancient War," she replied giving Lloyd a smug look. He just rolled his eyes at her.

"Very good. Afterwards, Mithos formed a pact with the Goddess Martel to seal away the Desians whom caused the war," Raine said.

Lloyd jerked to attention. "But the Desians came back and are causing everyone to suffer!"

A smaller boy, with silver hair and blue eyes just like Professor Raine, piped up. "We covered that in yesterday's class, remember? When the seal weakens, the Desians reappear. Like now," he said.

"Sh-shut up, Genis. Of course, I remember," Lloyd said, embarrassed.

"Today is the Day of Prophecy. It is a very important day, which the Chosen of Mana will receive an oracle from the Goddess Martel. Now, Colette," said Raine, getting the class back on track.

Colette stood up. "Yes, ma'am?"

"Tell us about the journey of world regeneration."

Colette cleared her throat and recited from memory, "It is a journey to seal the Desians. Upon passing the trials of the Goddess Martel, the Summon Spirits that protect the world awaken, and mana is restored."

"Correct," said the professor. "I suppose we should expect the Chosen herself to know the answer to that one. Mana depletion is the cause of the current food shortages and droughts. It is said that this occurs because the Desians consume vast amounts of mana in their human ranches. Now, for the next question-"

Before Raine could continue a bright light flashed across the sky, whiting everything out for the shortest moment. Everyone jumped out of their seats and ran to the windows in an attempt to see whatever had caused that strange phenomenon.

"What was that?!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"That light…" Colette murmured. Lenai turned to look at her. Colette had a strange expression on her face but masked whatever it was when she noticed Lenai staring at her.

"Everyone, return to your seats and settle down," Raine ordered. "It would appear that the time for the oracle has come. I'm going to go check on the chapel. You all stay here and study on your own." She turned to walk out the door.

"Professor! I'll go with you!" Colette said, starting to follow.

"No. If it is the oracle, the priests will come to retrieve you. Wait here with everyone else," the professor said before leaving.

The instant she was gone, Lloyd made for the door. "Lloyd, where are you going? Raine said to stay here!" Genis said.

Lloyd rolled his eyes. "So? I want to know what will happen to Colette when she receives the oracle. Everyone always talks about the Chosen of Regeneration and the Day of Prophecy, but no one really tells us what will actually happen."

"But my sister said to stay and study by ourselves," Genis said rather weakly.

"Psh! Genis, seriously. Who in their right minds would just sit around here and study when something this big is going down?" Lenai pointed out, walking over to join in the conversation.

Lloyd instantly became even more bold. "See? Lenai's with me, too! And if anyone asks, we can say we were just researching," he said grinning widely.

"But that's just an excuse!"

"Your point? Come on, let's go," Lloyd said. "Colette, want to come too?"

Colette glanced up from her seat "Huh? Oh, sure!" She got up and joined the three of them. "Where are we going?" she asked innocently.

"Where else?!" Lloyd asked flabbergasted. "The light! You're directly involved in all of this. Aren't you curious?"

Colette hesitated. "Well…are you all curious about it?"

"Of course!" Lloyd and Lenai exclaimed together.

"Ok, then…I guess I'll be curious about it too!" Colette decided, smiling sweetly at them.

Lloyd beamed. It was 3 to 1 now. "See? Dwarven Vow #4: Don't depend on others. Walk on your own two legs."

Lenai rolled her eyes and playfully punched Lloyd in the shoulder. "Would you shut up about those vows already? Let's just go already!" she said.


	3. chapter two

The four teens left the school and were surprised to see that the streets of Iselia were deserted. They wondered what was going on. Surely, with something as important as the oracle arriving, the streets would be bustling with people.

"You know, it's awfully quiet. I wonder what's up," thought Lloyd out loud.

"Yeah...where is everybody?" Lenai asked to no one in particularly.

A figure appeared, running down the street towards them. As it grew closer, they realized it was Colette's father, Frank. "Colette! Thank goodness you're safe!" he cried as he reached them.

"Safe? Frank, what's happened to everyone?" Genis asked worried.

"They're all hiding. The Desians invaded the village just a little while ago. Thankfully no one was hurt. They passed through the village and headed for the temple," Frank explained.

"What?!" Lenai exclaimed. "But Iselia has a non-aggression treaty with them! As long as we stay away from their stupid ranch, they're not supposed to attack us!"

"Where's Grandmother?" Colette asked her father anxiously.

"Phaidra is in the temple preparing for the ritual," Frank replied.

"What? But that's where the Desians…" Lloyd began.

"The priests are there with her. There's no need to worry. Now, Colette…"

Colette nodded. "I know. I promise to fulfill my duty as the Chosen," she said.

"Good luck, Colette," Frank said before departing. The four teenagers headed directly for the temple.

The walk to the temple took longer than they would have hoped. But they eventually got there and stood at the base awhile gazing up at it. Lenai never got tired of looking at it. The temple rested atop a large hill, littered with large stone pillars of temples long gone. The steps to the top of the hill were worn nearly away with use over the years. There was a giant stream of light coming from the sky straight down to the temple's roof. They shielded their eyes to look at it.

"Whoa, that light really is coming from the temple!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"Then the oracle is going to be conveyed…Colette's going to become the Chosen of Regeneration," Lenai said, a little less enthusiastic. She glanced at Colette, who had her eyes nearly covered.

"It's really, really bright!" Colette cried.

Lloyd sighed. "Hey Colette? When the oracle is conveyed, you'll become the Chosen who will save the world, right? You're going to be like the hero, Mithos. So maybe you should act a little more…you know, Chosen-like…"

Colette snapped to attention. "Of course! No problem, I can do that!" she said.

Genis, who had been just staring at the temple spoke up now, "Hey, there's a lot of commotion up at the temple." Just then one of the pastors came limping down the stairs leading from the temple towards them. He was clutching at his abdomen.

"Chosen!" he cried hoarsely. He stumbled and fell just a few steps from them. The group ran up to him, kneeling by his side.

"What happened?!" demanded Lloyd.

"The Desians broke the non-aggression treaty and attacked the temple…Chosen One…quickly…the oracle…" the pastor wheezed out.

"I know," Colette said soothingly.

"Please…be careful…I regret that I will not…be able to pro…tect…the…Cho…sen," he said losing his strength, and falling limp.

"Pastor, hang on!" Colette cried, distraught.

"Colette…It's no good. He's gone…" Lloyd said.

Colette, Lenai, and Genis just gaped in horror at what had just happened. None of them had ever seen someone die before. They stood in silence grieving over the loss for a long moment. Colette straightened suddenly, her resolve renewed. "I'm going," she announced. She began to climb the stairs by herself.

"But Colette, the Desians are still up there!" Genis cried.

"Then I guess we're going with her," Lenai said, standing up and following after Colette. "We can't let you go all by yourself."

Colette turned to look at her friends. "Are you sure? It's going to be dangerous."

"Dwarven Vow #1: Let's all work together for a peaceful world. Let's go," Lloyd said following behind Lenai. Genis, left with no other choice, followed them all.

* * *

At the very entrance to the holy shrine, a group of men harassed an elderly woman. "Where is the Chosen?" demanded the apparent leader of the group. He was the only one who wore no helmet, and had dark hair and pointed ears. The woman retreated as far as she could. At that moment, the Chosen's group climbed to the top of the hill and witnessed what was happening.

"Run, Colette!" the old woman cried to her granddaughter. The soldiers cornering her turned and saw the Chosen and her friends.

"Lord Botta! There she is!" one of the men called.

Botta turned and saw them. "Chosen One, your life is mine!" he declared. Lloyd dashed out in front of Lenai, Colette, and Genis, drawing his swords in preparation for an attack.

"I won't let you Desians get away with anything!"

The soldiers started to laugh. "Desians? Hahaha! Well then, die at the hands of the Desians you so hate!" They drew their weapons and advanced upon the young and mostly unarmed group. Lloyd fought them gallantly, and Genis used the little amount of magick that he knew but everyone could tell, it was a lost cause. There were just too many soldiers.

Lloyd managed to fell one of the soldiers with a well-placed thrust and Lenai seized the chance to snatch the fallen's sword. She only had a limited knowledge of swordplay, from what Lloyd had taught her a few years ago. The weapon felt heavy and awkward in her hands. One of the soldiers bore down on her and she attempted to parry, but the blade was knocked from her hands.

Expecting death, Lenai closed her eyes so that she wouldn't see the end coming. But it never came. There was a clang of metal, followed closely by the sound of a man dying. Lenai opened her eyes to find a new man standing over her, pulling his sword from the chest of the man who had just been about to kill her. The stranger quickly and skillfully dispatched the rest of the men, Lenai watching in awe all while.

He was dressed in a purple suit, with a cape. His auburn hair hung to his shoulders, disheveled yet attractive. He was tall as well. Taller than Azrael, Lenai thought vaguely.

"Amazing…!" she breathed, eyes glowing with instant infatuation.

Lloyd glanced at her, frowning. "Y-yeah…I suppose so…" he said.

"I never thought you'd show up. Damn…Retreat for now!" Botta ordered the rest of the soldiers. The lucky ones who escaped the stranger's blade.

Once they were gone, the man turned to the group. "Is everyone all right?" he inquired. Lenai flushed when his gaze washed over her. His eyes were crimson. She filed that away in her mind for safekeeping.

Colette's grandmother Phaidra approached the group. "How can I ever thank you for saving the Chosen?" she gushed to the stranger.

He eyed Colette. "I see…So this girl is the next Chosen?"

Colette nodded vigorously. "That's right! I have to go accept the oracle! Grandmother, I should go to undergo the trial now."

"What trial?" asked Lloyd.

"The monsters, I assume. An evil presence radiates from inside this chapel," said the stranger.

Colette's grandmother nodded. "That's correct. The Chosen is to receive the judgment from heaven. But the priests that were to accompany her fell at the hands of the Desians," she said mournfully.

"Then I'll take on the job of protecting Colette," Lloyd offered.

"Lloyd? I would be uneasy with just you…" Phaidra said hesitantly.

The stranger stared at Lloyd a moment. "You're name is Lloyd?" he asked.

Lloyd stared daringly back. "Yeah, but who are you to ask for my name?" he demanded.

"I am Kratos, a mercenary," the man replied. He turned to Phaidra. "As long as you can pay me, I'll accept the job of guarding the Chosen.

Phaidra weighed the options. "…Under the circumstances, I have little choice. Please be of service."

"It's a deal, then," Kratos said.

Lenai shook herself. "Wait! I want to go, too," she said, the last part trailing off slightly when Kratos turned to look at her.

"What is your name?"

"L-Lenai…" she cursed herself for stuttering.

Kratos sized her up before replying to her request. "No," he said quite simply.

"What?!" she had been so sure that she would go with Colette that his deny came as quite a shock. She forgot her infatuation as anger slowly settled in. "And why not?" she demanded.

"You and Lloyd would only get in the way. Why don't you two be good little children and wait out here?" Kratos said.

"What did you say?!" Lloyd exploded.

Lenai was quite annoyed by the arrogance of this man herself now. "I'm no child that you can boss around, Mr. Kratos. If you go, I'll just follow you," she said, her voice dangerously quiet.

Kratos gauged the two of their reactions and sighed. "Fine, do as you wish," he conceded.

Lloyd's mood brightened considerably. "Alright! Come on, Genis!"

Genis sighed. "Naturally, I _would _be coming along."

"Of course!"

Kratos sighed again. "This isn't a field trip, you know," he said. And so they all followed Kratos into the chapel. Lenai went at the back of the group, picking up her dropped sword as she followed, glaring daggers into the back of Kratos' head.


	4. chapter three

The Chosen's group wandered through the temple for hours, it seemed. As presumed, there were monsters, but nothing too tough jumped out at them. The only time anyone really was worried was when a clay golem appeared out of a wall in front of them. Kratos made short work of it.

The passageways were all narrow with low ceilings. There were cobwebs about everywhere. "Hey, don't the priests ever clean?" Lenai joked. No one had spoken in a while, so everyone turned to look at her. Lenai ignored Kratos' look and stared straight at Colette expectantly.

"I don't know," Colette admitted. "I've never been this far into the temple."

Suddenly they came into a large domed room. It was a lot more intricate in design than the rest of the temple. Angelic murals covered ever wall and even the dome. "There's the altar," Colette pointed out. In the center was an altar that had a glowing stone on it. The stone was the source of the intense light they'd seen from the outside.

"So then, that must be the Cruxis Crystal," Lloyd said.

Colette nodded. "That's right! They say I was born with that in my hand," she said gazing at the stone. Lenai remained silent. Her uncle told her that was a load of rubbish, that the priests chose Colette to be the Chosen and then gave her the Cruxis Crystal.

"Look at that light!" Genis shouted. At that moment, the Cruxis Crystal lit up brilliantly once again, blinding everyone for a moment. When the light faded, there was a winged man floating above them.

"An angel!" Lenai exclaimed. She felt her heart beat fast with the excitement she always felt when she saw Azrael. This felt a little different though. He wore ceremonial robes and looked more like a priest than a warrior, as Azrael did. This angel was male, and had short blonde hair and a pair of clear blue eyes.

"So is that Colette's real father?" Genis asked, breaking the spell.

"I am Remiel, an angel of judgment," the angel declared. "I am here to guide Colette, daughter of the mana lineage, on her journey to heaven as the seventh Chosen. The time has come to awaken the Goddess Martel, who sleeps at the center of the world."

"Awaken the Goddess Martel…It's just like the legend!" Lenai whispered in awe.

Remiel flew down and put the Cruxis Crystal around Colette's neck. "From this moment, Colette becomes the Chosen of Regeneration. We of Cruxis bless this event, and hereby bestow the Tower of Salvation upon Sylvarant."

There was a deep rumbling that appeared to come from the earth itself. All at once, it died away. "What was that?" Lloyd asked nervously.

"Look! It's the Tower of Salvation! Now the world will be saved!" Genis shouted pointing to the window. Across the sea, the Chosen's group saw a thin structure reaching up into the heavens.

"Colette, the Chosen of Regeneration. Unlock the seals that guard the Tower of Salvation and climb its stairs to heaven in distant lands," Remiel said, drawing their attention once more.

"I humbly accept this task," Colette said.

"Very good. We of Cruxis shall grant you the power of the angels with each seal you unlock. Once you are reborn as an angel, this eroded world shall be regenerated."

Colette nodded and clenched her fists. "Thank you. I swear on my life I will regenerate the world."

"First head south, to the Seal of Fire. Offer your prayers in that distant land," instructed Remiel.

"Yes, Lord Remiel," Colette said. With that, Remiel began to ascend. "Wait!" Colette cried. "Please wait! I have a question I wish to ask of you. Are you really my fa-"

"First head to the Seal of Fire. Understood? My beloved daughter, Colette," Remiel said, interrupting her.

"F-father! So you really are my true father!" Colette was in a total state of awe.

"We shall meet again at the next seal, my daughter." And then Remiel was gone. Everyone was frozen, unable to take their eyes from where the angel had been. Kratos was the first to move.

"Chosen, you've received the oracle. Let us leave now," he said before turning and walking out the entrance.

"…Oh, yes," Colette said, ripping her eyes from the spot her father had been to follow Kratos out. The group made their way back to the outside of the chapel, surprised by the fact that there no longer seemed to be any monsters about. Once they got outside, Colette turned to face Lloyd, Genis, and Lenai. "Thank you all for coming with me. Please stop by my house later."

"Hey, I'm coming with you!" Lenai said. "Besides, my house is just a little ways from your place," she added, seeing Kratos about to argue. Instead he just turned away and went down the stairs to the base of the hill.

"Ok," Colette conceded. "We'll see you guys later then." Colette and Lenai said goodbye to Lloyd and Genis and left.

* * *

Later, at Colette's house, the mayor came by and met with Colette and her family to discuss Colette's journey. They sat at the dining room table, accompanied by Kratos. Lenai sat a little ways off to herself to listen. Just as they were coming to a conclusion, Lloyd and Genis entered the house.

"Then, we shall entrust the protection of the Chosen to Kratos Aurion and Raine Sage," declared the mayor.

"I have no objections," said Kratos, looking somewhat pleased. Lenai decided that now would be the best time to speak up.

"I want to go, too," she said firmly, daring anyone to refuse her wish.

"Yeah, I want to go, too!" said Lloyd. "I want to see Colette regenerate the world!"

"If Raine is going, I want to go, too," Genis added.

"No," Kratos said. "You'll only get in the way." As he said this he looked straight at each of the three.

"What?!" exclaimed Lloyd.

"The battles at the chapel were nothing compared to the journey that awaits us. Children need to stay home," Kratos said critically, emphasizing the word _children_.

Before either Lloyd or Lenai could voice their outrage, the mayor spoke up. "Kratos is absolutely right. Now then, as we still have things to discuss, you children should go on home."

Lloyd was about to protest again, but Genis grabbed his sleeve and pulled him out the door. Colette excused her self and went outside to tell them goodbye. Lenai wasn't so easily discouraged. "I'm no child! I'm eighteen and by law can do as I please," she said glaring at Kratos. "And what I please would just so happen to be to join Colette on her journey.

Raine walked in at that moment. "Lenai is absolutely right. She is an adult," she said. Lenai beamed at her teacher.

"Thank you so much, Rai-"

"However, this is going to be a very dangerous journey," Raine interrupted. "Are you sure you want to join us?"

"Yes," Lenai said without hesitation. "I _have_ to go. Colette is my best friend and I want to be there for her, throughout all her hard times. I want to be there even when…when she becomes an angel."

Raine nodded slowly. "Very well. I have no objections."

* * *

After the meeting was over and everything was decided, Colette went to Lloyd's house accompanied by Raine and Kratos to tell him goodbye. It was decided that they would be leaving in the morning. Lenai declined going. She wasn't good with emotional goodbyes and would be having a bad enough time telling her uncle she'd be leaving.

On the walk back to her house, however, Lenai decided that she wouldn't tell Uncle Hikaru after all. He'd probably just try to stop her from leaving. She arrived at her house and went straight to her room. Spaetzle followed her and she let him in before she shut her door. She walked over to her window and opened it, enjoying the little cool breeze before walking over to her bed and sitting down on it. She hoped Azrael would stop by tonight.

After a while, Lenai heard a knock on her door. Immediately following, her uncle entered the room. He stood there awkwardly, looking at her for a moment. "Yes?" she asked finally.

"I was just wondering…how your day was?" he asked lamely.

"It was interesting," Lenai said simply.

"I heard that the Chosen received the oracle," he said, probingly.

"Yeah, I was there," she said watching her uncle's face carefully.

"I'm not surprised," he said.

Lenai was suddenly overcome with the realization that this could be the last time she talked to her uncle. While they fought constantly, she realized that she did care for him and would miss him. He wasn't really her uncle by blood, but she considered him family all the same. He was the one who had taken her in after her mother abandoned her in this village at the age of four.

Lenai didn't really remember her mother all that much. Uncle Hikaru told her that her mother's name was Serenity, but he either wouldn't or couldn't tell her anything else. From what Lenai could remember, Serenity was very beautiful but that beauty was marred by her constant worry. Lenai supposed that worry was about herself and that may have been why she was left with her uncle.

In any case, Lenai was looking at her uncle in a new light at the present time. She could be looking at his face, hearing his voice for the last time. _Or at least for the last time in a long while_, she thought, attempting to push the dark thoughts that crept into her mind away. Tears gathered in her eyes and blurred her vision.

"I…I'm kind of tired," she said trying to keep the tremor from her voice.

Her uncle was quiet for a long moment, just watching her. "Alright, I'll let you get some sleep then," he said quietly. He got up and left, shutting her door behind him.

* * *

Azrael stepped lightly into the room, crouching to enter through the window. "Lenai?" he questioned softly. His violet gaze swept the room, falling on the girl lying limp on her bed. He walked silently over and stood at the foot of her bed, watching her sleep. Her chest rose and fell peacefully. He reached out to stroke a strand of her hair back behind her ear.

The brief contact was enough to jolt her from her slumber and she stared at him dumbly for the briefest of moments as full awareness flooded to her. Then she smiled up at him. "Hi," she said.

He smiled tenderly back at her, sitting down beside her. "Hi," he whispered. She climbed into his lap and he immediately wrapped his arms around her, stroking her hair.

"I went with Colette to see the oracle," Lenai said rather bluntly.

"Did you? How did that go?" he asked.

"It was amazing!" she gushed, her eyes bright with excitement. "I met another angel. Remiel. Do you know him?"

"Ah. Remiel…yes, I suppose you could say I know him," Azrael said, making a face. Lenai laughed.

"You don't like him."

The angel looked slightly ashamed, but nodded his consent anyway. Lenai giggled. "I've decided to go with her tomorrow," she announced.

"There's no surprise," muttered Azrael. His expression grew withdrawn and thoughtful. He was silent a long time before speaking again. "Lenai, be careful. Not all angels are like me."

She twisted around in his arms to look at him. "What is that supposed to mean?" she demanded. Their eyes locked and she could tell there was much he wanted to tell her, but she could also tell he wasn't going to. She sighed. "Angels…" she scoffed, half jokingly.

Azrael smiled apologetically. He glanced out the window at the moon. "You should get some rest," he said. Lenai nodded. He climbed off her bed while she lay back down. Leaning down, he kissed her brow swiftly before gracefully taking flight from her window.


End file.
